Chapter One
Elsa sat upon her throne, her stomach in knots. She had received word over breakfast that the Frosts' ship had docked in the harbor just before dawn this morning. Her appetite had disappeared after hearing the news, and she had sent back her tray of breakfast largely untouched, except for the half-consumed cup of tea. Now, of course, she regretted not finishing the soothing beverage. It might have helped to settle her stomach in some measure.
She felt a light pressure on one of her gloved hands, and she looked over at her sister. Although it was Elsa's habit to take a retinue of guards to greet her visitors as they disembarked the ship, she had elected to forego the ritual this morning. That it was bitterly cold outside and Elsa thought Anna shouldn't be exposed to it in her condition was only part of the reason Elsa had decided to meet with her guests in the more formal setting of the throne room. After giving the matter some thought, Elsa had determined that it was important to distance herself and strike a more formal tone from the very beginning in her dealings with the Frosts. She had absolutely no intention whatsoever of going through with the marriage her parents had arranged for her, and keeping the Frosts and their son at arm's length seemed like the wisest course of action. It might even make the breaking of the contract easier, if they believed Elsa to be as cold and indifferent as her ice magic.
"Elsa, are you certain about this?" Anna whispered. "Maybe you should meet Jack first and think about it. You might change your mind."
"What's to think about ?" she countered with a hiss. "The entire idea is absurd. Marriage isn't for me. It's never been a thought in my head!"
"That's because you spent most of your life stuck alone in your room, worried about losing control of your magic and hurting people. Of course it never occurred to you."
She decided to ignore that. "Anna, I'm very happy for you and Kristoff, really I am. But some of us just aren't looking for a relationship."
"All right," she agreed, tossing a fiery braid over her shoulder, "that's true. But what if a relationship finds you, Elsa? Have you ever thought about that?"
Trumpets blared before she could retort. Elsa tried to pay attention as the court heralds formally announced the Frosts, but she felt irritated and impatient. Why did everyone seem to think that she needed to get married to be happy? Even Anna, the one person she had thought would understand, wondered if Elsa might not be happier married than not.
Renewing her resolve to void the contract one way or another, Elsa studied her intended in-laws as they approached. King John was tall at nearly six feet of height, and although he carried a staff shaped not unlike a shepherd's crook in one hand, he didn't seem to actually use it for support, suggesting that it was pure affectation. His white-blonde hair was cropped shorter than the current style in Arendelle's court, and he was clean shaven, which meant that either he preferred it as such, or he had taken pains with his appearance for this first meeting.
His wife, Queen Peri, was a dainty woman that barely topped five feet of height. Her white-blonde hair was swept back into a neat coiffure, save for one loose lock on either side of her face which had been styled to curve inward and frame her delicate jaw line. Her blue eyes were bright, startling Elsa somewhat with their brilliance as the Frosts paused in front of the dais, and she had a small snub of a nose that almost looked out of place with the rest of her facial features, but somehow managed to add to her charm.
Their son, Jack, sole heir to the throne of Celestine, approached last. He was tall, like his father, and lanky. Although his hair was cropped short like his father's, several locks of it hung over his forehead in a manner that was not quite unkempt, emphasizing the dazzling ice blue eyes he had inherited from his mother. Elsa found it strangely appealing, and found herself staring for a moment before she collected herself.
"It is our pleasure to welcome you to our court," Elsa said, resisting the urge to squirm in her throne as Jack scrutinized her in turn. "We urge you to make yourselves at home in Arendelle. If there is any hospitality we might offer during your stay to make you more comfortable, please let us know and we will give it due consideration." Polite, but not entirely welcoming, she congratulated herself, without being outright insulting either.
The elder Frosts' facial expressions gave no trace of their thoughts away, but Elsa doubted, given their many years of dealing with court politics and diplomacy, that they had missed the subtext of her words. Their son, Jack, however, narrowed his crystalline eyes a fraction and peered at her with a speculative expression. He raked a thatch of white-blonde hair out of his face, and his expression settled into a knowing smirk.
Unsettled by his reaction and uncertain what to make of it, Elsa offered to have one of the servants show the Frosts to a set of suites that had been prepared for their visit. "I am sure you must be exhausted after the rigors of your journey," she said solicitously, "and eager to have a proper rest in before the ball this evening. Our week-long solstice festival begins this eve, and as your arrival coincides with its commencement, we would be honored if you would join us in celebrating both occasions."
There, Elsa thought with glee. Polite, but distant again. She neither slighted them with the absence of a welcoming ball, nor did she give their arrival her undivided attention, but rather impressed upon them the precedence of her kingdom and her duties. And as she couldn't have predicted the exact date of their arrival, they could hardly fault her for the fact that the ball must be both a dual celebration of the solstice as well as their arrival.
"Elsa, will you at least keep an open mind?" Anna begged again after the Frosts departed. "If you are genuinely not interested in marriage, I will support you in that." She hesitated. "But I worry that your lack of interest in even the idea of marriage comes not from a free, considered decision, but from a lack of faith in love."
"Anna," Kristoff began warningly, breaking his silence. "I don't think it's a good-"
"No," Elsa said shortly, glaring at her sister. "I want to hear what she has to say."
Kristoff subsided with a sigh, muttering a familiar lament about how reindeer were better than people indeed, and certainly less complicated.
Her sister ignored him and gazed at Elsa sadly. "I will never believe that Mother and Father ever had anything but the best of intentions," she began, "but well... They didn't do either of us any favors in learning what love really is by isolating us from everyone, even each other. Especially you. Your whole life, you've absorbed this implicit message that using your magic was unacceptable-that you were somehow unacceptable-because they forced you to suppress an essential part of yourself."
She sighed. Hadn't they discussed all of this to death by now? "Get to the point, Anna," she ordered.
"My point is this," she cleared her throat, "Loneliness can be habit-forming. Make certain that your decision not to marry isn't the result of misplaced, lingering self-condemnation." She smiled crookedly. "You have shouldered enough loneliness, pain, and regret for several lifetimes. I want you to be happy."
"Anna, I am happy. I have you and Kristoff and your little one on the way. I don't need anyone else to be happy."
"Be that as it may," she conceded with a smile, "at least think it over." She looked over at her husband with a goofy grin. "Sometimes the things that make us the happiest are the ones we never anticipated."
"I'll take it under consideration," she humored her sister. "Now, haven't you an appointment with the physician right about-"
"Oh no!" Anna gasped, her eyes growing comically wide. "I can't believe I forgot! Kristoff-"
"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier, before you and Elsa started arguing," he murmured to her as they swept out of the room.
"We weren't arguing, we were discussing," Elsa heard Anna answer primly before their voices faded away.
Elsa smiled to herself. "Good for you, Anna," she chuckled. Sisters had to stick together. Look at all that had happened when they hadn't. No matter what her sister thought, Elsa knew that as long as she had her family she would never lack for love or be lonely again.
The ballroom was sweltering. The doors leading to the garden had been propped open an hour prior to the event in order to air the space out and cool it down in anticipation for the celebration, but the endeavor had been in vain. Even with all of Elsa's best efforts to control the climate with her ice magic, there were simply too many people, too much friction in one space, to keep the ballroom cooled off, winter or not. It was practically a full time job in itself to keep the glittering ice sculptures she'd created from dripping puddles all over the inlaid marble floor. The last thing Elsa needed was for a guest to slip in water and break an ankle-an ill omen for the start of the festival, not to mention utterly mortifying.
Under normal circumstances, Elsa found the routine of making such incessant rounds to check and restore her creations rather tedious. The Frosts' presence this year, however, made Elsa grateful for the work. It gave her an excuse to avoid long periods of socialization, and therefore the opportunity for Jack to invite her to dance.
Or so she had hoped.
She had underestimated the Frosts. Rather than let themselves be put off by the dual nature of the ball, as she'd intended, they cleverly turned it into an opportunity for their son to pursue Elsa in a public and formal manner, thus sealing the idea of a marriage between Elsa and Jack in her subjects' minds. She had already danced with Jack twice. The first time it had been for politeness' sake. It wouldn't do to be ungracious and publically humiliate her guests with the overt rejection of their son. The second time, Jack had ambushed her in a quieter corner of the ballroom while she fixed a large sculpture of a strutting peacock with its plumage on display, and she hadn't been able to think of a polite way to excuse herself from the dance. But Elsa was determined that she wouldn't be ensnared into accepting a third dance-which it looked very much like Jack was about to request as he threaded his way toward her again through the crush of people.
No. She simply could not endure another awkward dance with Jack's bizarre questions and trivia about ice. Elsa didn't know whether he genuinely thought that it was a topic of interest to her because of her magic, or whether he was simply as at a loss at what to discuss during the dance as she, but somehow the Frosts had learned of Elsa's powers. And as they had not yet called off the marriage or fled in fear, Elsa had to abandon her plan to scare them off with her magic. Clearly, it wasn't going to work. She hadn't met anyone so obsessed with ice since Anna had first introduced her to Kristoff. And okay, it was charming in a weird kind of way coming from her brother-in-law-she didn't have to deal with it in the day to day scheme of things-but coming from a suitor? Intolerable. Even from an unwanted one.
So Elsa did the unthinkable and blindly pulled the nearest unattached male into a dance with her. "Smile," she said brightly through gritted teeth as she forcefully swept him onto the dance floor. "Pretend like you're having the time of your life."
"I pity the poor deluded fool that must pretend to enjoy your company."
Elsa blinked, looking up at her dance partner properly. She didn't have to tilt her head very far; they were almost perfectly matched in height. A pair of deep-set eyes peered at her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity, their hue a baffling shade of blue-grey that she couldn't properly catalog, but which reminded her of the ocean during a storm. Curling brown hair framed a face that was quietly handsome but far from homely, and although his sideburns were neatly trimmed, he wore a light scruff of facial hair that could not be properly categorized as a beard, but which seemed at odds with the starched military regimentals that he wore.
"Thank you, Captain...?"
"Jones," he supplied, twirling her with an ease that impressed Elsa despite herself. Jack had been more stiff, lacking the finesse and experience this man seemed to have. "Liam Jones. And might I have the pleasure of your acquaintance?"
"Elsa," she supplied shortly. "As I was saying, Captain Jones, thank you, but flattery is unnecessary simply because I have required you to dance with me."
His eyes locked with hers. Some of the amusement faded. "Flattery is my brother's department," he answered. "I speak the truth as I see it."
She eyed him skeptically. "You mean to tell me you've never flattered a woman's vanity-not once-in your entire life?"
"Flattered, no. Expressed my regard for a woman and complimented her charms, yes. And if you don't know the difference, you haven't yet had a suitor worth considering."
"My considerations weren't consulted when my betrothal contract was drawn up, I'm afraid."
"Ah," he said with a sober expression. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Not as sorry as I was." She craned her neck over his shoulder a bit, scanning the crowd for Jack. Elsa knew that she couldn't impose upon Captain Jones forever, but perhaps she could urge him to maneuver them toward the gardens. She could slip away for a reprieve until it was time to start the next part of the festivities.
"Would I be correct, then," he said with a thoughtful expression, "in assuming that it is your intended bridegroom that you are avoiding during this dance with me?"
Elsa flushed at his directness. "Yes," she admitted with a mixture of irritation and embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't think of what an inconvenience it might be to you-"
He laughed softly. "Don't be. I am entirely gratified to be pulled into a dance with so lovely a lady as yourself. And I've no obligations to anyone here but my brother and my crew," he informed her with an indolent smile.
His eyes locked with hers, and Elsa felt an odd flutter in her belly. Distracted by the sensation, she missed the next step and stumbled backward. He caught her around the waist in one swift motion and tilted her backwards in a sweeping dip as graceful and intentional as if nothing had been amiss to begin with. Elsa was impressed, once again, despite herself. "Thank you, Captain," she said breathlessly as he lifted her back to her feet and steadied her. "I think-" She stepped back from him and tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear as the song ended. "I'm beginning to feel rather warm in here."
"Would you allow me the honor of escorting you to the garden, my lady?" he inquired solicitously.
"No," she said quickly, "I mean yes. That is...only for a few minutes. I must check on my sister soon." What was the matter with her? Elsa wondered. The close press of the crowd must be affecting her more than she'd thought. Hadn't she intended for Captain Jones to escort her to the garden for a respite from Jack's attentions anyway?
She followed Liam out into the gardens. "This is better," she said with a smile, breathing in the fresh air. "I'm sorry the gardens aren't much to look at this time of year, but- Wait, what are you doing?" she protested, drawing back in confusion as Liam swiftly divested himself of his coat. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was doing. "Captain Jones, I thank you, but I'm not cold in the slightest."
"Nonsense," he insisted, holding the jacket up.
"No, you don't understand," she protested, "You really don't have to-"
"Don't be absurd," he told her. "Besides, what manner of gentleman would I be if I didn't give a lady my jacket on such a cold evening?"
Elsa tilted her head. It was becoming increasingly apparent that her reputation had not preceded her in some quarters, at least. The man honestly seemed ignorant of her powers. Or perhaps he simply didn't care. "Thank you, Captain," she smiled, accepting the jacket with grace. "That is very kind of you."
"So," he said quietly, as he placed the jacket around her shoulders, "if you don't mind my asking, is it the man himself that you object to marrying, or is it that the marriage was arranged against your wishes?"
"Both," she said, turning down one of the garden paths. "Neither. You see, Captain, I have no intention of marrying anyone. Ever."
"What an unfortunate resolution," he mused, clasping his hands behind his back. Elsa turned to stare at him. "Considering the circumstances, I mean," he explained. "It must be quite vexing to be forced into a situation that conflicts so greatly with your future plans. Killian and I are lucky-"
"Killian? Your brother?" she guessed.
He nodded. "Younger brother. As I was saying, Killian and I are lucky, in a way. There are no such expectations placed on us."
"Why not?" she asked with interest. "Have the both of you determined you have no wish to marry anyone?" It was refreshing to think that Captain Jones might be a kindred spirit in that regard.
He shrugged. "Killian is still very young and idealistic. Perhaps one day he might meet a lass he wishes to commit his life to, but the only commitment I'd encourage him to make now is to his work. He still has a lot to learn about himself and the world. People change a lot at the stage he's in. I'd hate to see him tie himself down to someone and regret it later, if they grew apart or she grew resentful of the kind of life we lead."
"How do you mean?"
"It's a life that breeds resentment and drives people apart more often than not. I've seen it with members of my crew. They're forced to spend months apart from their own families for what often amounts to little pay, and when they return to shore for leave they find their wife or sweetheart has taken up with another man. Or maybe she's tired of being neglected and raising children that don't even recognize their own father, so she's bitter and angry and doesn't welcome you home so warmly anymore; it becomes miserable to be at home, and he sets sail again at the soonest opportunity, perpetuating the cycle of neglect and resentment that started it in the first place. It's not a life I'd want for anyone I cared about. Especially my brother."
"You care a lot about him, as I do my sister. You feel responsible for him."
"I do. We're all we have left of our family. Our mother died when we were young, and our father abandoned us."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Elsa said truthfully. "Our parents also died when we were adolescents."
She was debating on whether to tell Liam just how her parents had passed away when he said, "If your parents died such a long time ago, how is it that you are still bound to the marriage contract?"
"I didn't know anything about it until last month."
He stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at her. "How is that possible?"
She sighed. "Believe me, I've been asking myself that very question for weeks now. "
"Is there no way to break the contract, since it was made without your consent and knowledge?"
"At the time it was drawn up, my parents had legal right to consent for me," she all but growled, "since I was not of legal age." A quaint little Arendelle law that Elsa had every intention of changing just as soon as she managed to get herself out of this mess.
"But now you are," he pointed out. "And your parents are deceased. Surely there's a loophole in the law somewhere..."
"I'm looking into it," she assured him, "but that takes time, and my initial plans for getting out of the contract fell through, so I-" Elsa broke off mid-sentence as an idea occurred to her. A terrible, brilliant, desperate idea. But she couldn't pull it off alone. She would need a few conspirators.
"Captain Jones," she began with a bright smile, "how do you feel about courting the Queen of Arendelle?"
